1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera-integrated video recorder system (VTR) which is arranged to permit a remote operation thereon by means of a remote-control unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
The camera-integrated VTRs are generally arranged to have two functions including picture taking by means of a camera and reproduction by means of a VTR. Each of these different operation modes is arranged to be selectable by changing them from one over to the other with a change-over switch which is provided on the body of the camera-integrated VTR.
Meanwhile, the number of camera-integrated VTRs having remote-control units which permit remote operations for enhancement of their operability is increasing in recent years.
FIG. 1 shows in a block diagram a camera-integrated VTR of the above-stated kind. The illustration includes a VTR part circuit 1; a camera part circuit 2; a system control microcomputer 3 which performs overall control for functions of varied kinds; a detecting and waveform-shaping circuit 5; an amplifier 6; a driver 7 for driving an infrared ray emitting LED; a remote-control microcomputer 8 which controls a remote-control unit; a keypad 9 for remote control; a driver 10 which drives indication LEDs; a photodiode 11 which is provided on the side of the VTR body for receiving a remote-control light; an infrared ray emitting LED 12 which emits infrared rays for signal transmission; an LED 13 which indicates a camera mode, by emitting, for example, a red light; an LED 14 which indicates a VTR mode by emitting, for example, a green light; and a mode change-over switch 15.
FIG. 2 shows in an oblique view an example of the conventional camera-integrated VTR. In FIG. 2, a reference numeral 18 denotes a body of the camera-integrated VTR (hereinafter referred to as the camera body). Operation keys 19 of a VTR system are provided for rewinding a tape, fast forwarding the tape, reproduction, stop recording, etc. Operation keys 20 of a camera system are provided for zooming, fading, automatic focusing (AF)/manual focusing change-over, etc. A VTR/camera change-over button 21 is interlocked with the mode change-over switch 15. A light receiving unit 22 has a light receiving circuit for receiving infrared rays from a remote-control unit. A reference numeral 23 denotes the remote-control unit. Numerals 24 and 25 respectively denote operation keys provided for the VTR system and the camera system. A numeral 26 denotes an infrared ray emitting diode window for signal transmission. Further, the LEDs 13 and 14 provided for indicating the camera mode and the VTR mode, respectively, are disposed in positions as shown in FIG. 2.
The example of the conventional camera-integrated VTR operates as follows: the operation of the camera-integrated VTR as a whole is controlled by the system control microcomputer 3. Data communication is incessantly maintained between the VTR part circuit 1 and the camera part circuit 2. When the switch 15 is turned on or off, the level of a signal w is changed over to a low or high level due to a predetermined voltage level supplied via a resistor R1. This signal w is supplied to the system control microcomputer 3. This enables the system control microcomputer 3 to detect the state of the switch 15. When the switch 15 is turned on, the camera-integrated VTR is set in a camera shooting mode (hereinafter referred to as a camera mode). The camera-integrated VTR system is set in a video recorder mode (hereinafter referred to as a VTR mode) when the switch 15 is turned off. In the VTR mode, the record on a recorded tape is reproduced; and the tape is fast forwarded or rewound. In the camera mode, motor-driven actions of zooming, fading, starting or stopping a recording operation, etc., are performed. In one of these modes, the functions of the other mode are arranged so that it is impossible to prevent a faulty operation.
To enable the operator to readily know the mode in which the camera-integrated VTR is currently set, the driver 10 is arranged to be controlled to light up the red LED 13 in the camera mode and to light up the green LED 14 in the VTR mode. The change in the mode is thus arranged to be indicated by the change of color of light emission. These mode indicating LEDs 13 and 14 are located in positions to be seen from the front of the camera body as shown in FIG. 2.
Next, the infrared wireless remote-control unit is described as follows:
Referring to FIG. 1, when the remote-control keypad 9 is pushed, the microcomputer 8 for remote control acts to generate given digital data. With the data generated, the driver 7 causes the infrared ray emitting LED 12 to operate. An infrared light which is capable of reaching a given distance is emitted by the LED 12 to send to the camera body data according to the operation on the keypad 9. Then, on the side of the camera body 18, the infrared light signal from the remote-control unit 23 is received by the photodiode 11. The signal is amplified by the amplifier 6 and, after that, is detected and has its waveform shaped by the detecting and waveform-shaping circuit 5. The system control microcomputer 3 then performs a data reading action. Then, the microcomputer 3 performs data communication to carry out a predetermined action with the VTR part 1 and the camera part 2 on the basis of the data received.
However, in the case of the conventional camera-integrated VTR, the camera mode and the VTR mode are changed from one over to the other by means of the VTR/camera change-over button 21 (the mode change-over switch 15). After the change-over, therefore, it is confusing and not easy for an unaccustomed operator to clearly know which of the operation keys is operable and which is not.